Archive for November, 2009

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How Does Student Loan Consolidation Work?

Sunday, November 29th, 2009
Nowadays, the cost of higher education is getting more and more expensive. Some families may not be able to afford to send their son or daughter for further education. Getting a student loan will help.

There are 2 broad categories of student loans available. Government student loans and private student loans

Government or federal student loans are funded and administered by the US Department Of Education. It is classified under Federal Student Loans Aid Program. They have very few requirements other than you are studying in a US college or university. International students may also apply though approval is on a case by case basis.

Every year, the student loan aid program disburse nearly 60 billion dollars so it is a good choice for get a student loan from the government. Thus the interest rates are pretty low.

Private student loans are funded and administered by banks and other financial institutions. These lenders provide student loans at a higher interest rate compared to federal student loans. Some common student loans available are from Citibank and Sallie Mae

You are allowed to apply for both private and federal student loans for your education needs although I would not recommend it.

For some students who have a few student loans to repay concurrently, it can be a financial drain on their family finances. That is where student loan consolidation comes in.

Student loan consolidation basically consolidates all your student loans into one loan so that it is easier to manage and make payments. When you are getting a student loan consolidation whether from the government or the private market, your existing student loans are paid for and erased by the student loan consolidation lender. The balances are transferred to the new student loan consolidation. Thus you start a new loan and only needs to make a single payment each month.

There are many advantages to using student loan consolidation. The interest rates will be lower since it takes the average interest rates of your previous student loans. Thus due to government legislation, the maximum interest rate cannot be higher than 8.25 percent.

It becomes a lot easier to manage a single student loan and payment are easier. The repayment options are quite flexible. For federal student loan consolidation, you can opt to start repaying after you have graduated from school. There are also several other options.

Another beneficial side-effect of student loan consolidation is that it can also improves your credit score. Since you are effectively clearing all your old student loans and taking a new one, your credit score will increase and is important if plan to take other types of loans in the future.



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Not All Debt is Bad

Saturday, November 28th, 2009
So you are in debt-who isn’t these days? We live in a society that encourages people to go into debt. Credit card commercials tell us that a trip to Jamaica is just what we need, regardless of whether we can afford it. (That’s what your gold card is for, right?)

Loan brokers want us to borrow up to 125 percent against our home equity. Even the federal government just had its first balanced budget in a generation and now faces the enormous task of paying off over trillions of dollars in debt.

Yet not everyone is in debt. Many people know how to deal with money. Their debts are manageable, and they have money in the bank. That sounds nice, doesn’t it money in the bank? That is what you deserve. In order to get there, however, you are going to have to change some of your thinking about money and learn a few new methods of dealing with it.

Why Are You in Debt?

People who are not in debt think about and treat money differently than the rest of us. They know a few things about money and debt that escape the rest of us. Let’s call them the “financially literate.” If you can begin to relate to money as they do, you will be well on your way to a life that is not only debt-free, but also prosperous. What we hope to do in this book is to show you some of their secrets so you can adapt a few of these ideas and tools to help you get out of debt.

Do not feel too badly if you are not good with a dollar, a lot of people aren’t. Money literacy is not taught in schools, and too often parents are too busy trying to dig themselves out of their own financial hole to help much either. Yet, unfortunately for many of us, we learn more about money from our parents than anywhere else. The good news is that learning how to get out of debt and become more financially literate is not all that complicated.

The first step in the process is to figure out how you created so much debt, because if you don’t figure out how and why you got yourself into this pickle, you might get out of debt, but you certainly won’t stay out. So the first question to ask yourself is: Why did you go into debt in the first place?

Sometimes going into debt is unavoidable, but often it is not. When money is tight, you have several options; going into debt is just the easiest. Instead of choosing more debt, you might have decided to work overtime and make more money, or possibly you could have tightened your belt and spent less money. Debt was not your only choice.

There are many reasons people go into debt: some are good reasons, and some are bad. It doesn’t matter. Did you buy luxuries you could otherwise not afford? Did an illness or a divorce set you back financially? Was debt your way of dealing with some other sudden, unexpected expense? When you look at the reason why you went into debt, the important thing is to notice whether your spending habits follow a pattern. If you can see a pattern, you need to address that pattern as much as the underlying debt.

Consider Mark and Diane. They both make a good living: he’s a psychiatrist, and she’s a psychologist. They have two kids to whom they are devoted. They send both to private school, which costs a total of $15,000 a year, and both kids go to summer camp. This expense adds up.

Mark and Diane don’t buy luxuries, they don’t travel much, and, except for the kids’ expenses, they are very frugal. Yet the only way they can pay for everything is by going into debt. They use their home equity line of credit and credit cards to stay afloat. Although they would like to move to a less expensive neighborhood, they can’t because they have no equity in their home, so they are stuck.

What are they to do? If they are going to get out of debt, something in their lives is going to have to change. The private school is going to have to go, camp may be out, or they are going to have to start making more money. The same is true for you. If you want to get out of debt, you are going to have to identify why you went into debt and change that behavior or pattern.

Good and Bad Debt

Debt in and of itself is not a bad thing. Both of us (the authors) were able to start our own businesses because of debt; Steve began his own law practice, and Azriela began her own entrepreneurial consulting business. So we understand what debt is and why some debt is great debt.

Debt allows you to do things you otherwise normally could not do, such as start a business, go to college, or pay for a home. Debt constructs buildings and funds investments and entire corporations-even the government is funded by debt. The trick is to foster debts that help the cause and banish the ones that don’t. Not all debts are bad debts.

Good Debt

Debt that helps you, enriches your life, is manageable, and is not a burden can be called good debt. For example, student loans are good debt if they enabled you to get through school and further your life goals. They are bad debt if you dropped out of medical school after one year to become a writer. A good debt helps; a bad debt hinders. We want to help you get rid of that bad debt.

Other examples of debt that may be considered good include:

1. Home loans. A mortgage can be a great debt. Not only does it permit you to own your own home, but it also allows you to build home equity. People who are financially savvy earn interest and equity. People who are not financially savvy pay interest and create money for others. For example, charging groceries means that you will pay about 17 percent interest on items that will be consumed within a week. A financially literate person would never do that.

2. Car loans. A car loan can be a fine debt because you get something long-lasting out of the debt. If you need a nice car for your job (if you are a real estate agent, for example), a car loan may be considered good debt because it helps you in your career. However, a car loan that you cannot afford is a bad debt because it detracts from your life.

3. Business loans. If you can service the loan, and it helps you make more money, the loan is good debt, but if the loan is nothing but a source of problems for you, the debt is bad.

4. Credit cards. Credit cards are fantastic. They are convenient and easy. They can help finance a business or even medical emergencies. The problem with them, as you probably know only too well, is that it is too easy to fall under their siren spell and get in over your head before you know it. That’s when they begin to hurt your life more than help it.

Bad Debt Blues

How do you know if your debt is good debt or bad debt? Easy. Bad debts cause stress. You sleep poorly because of them. They cause fights and foster guilt. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell was once asked to define obscenity. Hard-pressed to come up with a definition, Powell uttered the famous line, “I know it when I see it.” The same could be said for bad debt: You know it when you see it, and it certainly can be obscene.

Bad debt seems impossible to pay back. You create bad debt when you charge things you don’t need or when you borrow for things that you consume quickly, such as clothes, meals, or vacations. The things quickly disappear, but the debt has a nasty habit of sticking around, seemingly forever. Bad debts can become very bad debts because of interest and penalties. For example, if you buy a CD player for $200 and don’t pay it off by the end of the year, and your credit card company charges a usurious 20 percent APR (20 percent per year), you owe $220 by the end of the year. If you do this with five items, you owe $1100, and that’s a lot of money.

Money Talks

Tight for money? Here are some simple ways to save a little extra: Don’t use ATMs at other banks and avoid $2 user fees; cancel your movie channels on cable and save about $20 per month; put all of your change at the end of the day in a jar and save about $50 a month; hold a garage sale and make about $200; cancel your cell phone and save $50 a month.

You can create bad debt when you agree to pay these crazy interest rates that some creditors charge, because the debt seems to grow exponentially. Credit cards are the prime culprit, but they are by no means the only one. High interest can also come with personal loans, business loans, or unpaid taxes.

You know what the bad debt dance looks like, anyone reading this book does: New bills are coming in before you’ve cleared out those from last month. You’re surprised to find that the phone bill is still unpaid. Somehow the dentist was never sent his check. You know what past-due notices look like. Your Visa and MasterCard bills include late payment penalties. The hardware store sends a letter telling you you’re past due and requests that you send a check at once. There is more month left at the end of your money, and payday seems far away. Worst of all, these things don’t surprise you anymore.

Avoidance is a common coping mechanism to deal with a budget that doesn’t balance. The problem is, it can create even more problems than you already have:

Your property could be repossessed. The finance company can come take your car. The electronics store can come take its TV back. You could get sued. If that happens, your wages could be garnished, or your bank account could be levied upon. Imagine your surprise when you go to get that $1,000 out of your checking account to pay your mortgage and you find that it has been seized by one of your creditors.

A lien can be placed on your real estate. Failure to pay a bill now means that a creditor can get a judgment against you and force you to pay it later when you sell your house, only then you will pay it with 10 percent interest per year.

Loss of services. You could lose your insurance or your utility services if you avoid paying those bills.

Yet, as much as you have been avoiding the problem, the truth is that your debts are neither crushing nor hopeless. They are simply a problem-one for which there is a solution. But no one ever eliminated a problem until he or she recognized and admitted that there was a problem. You began to do that the moment you read this articles. As you read it, you will need to begin to formulate a debt-reduction plan that will work for you. As you do, you need to determine which debts are necessary and which are not.

Debts You Want to Keep

Steve, one of the authors of this book, is a bankruptcy attorney. One day, an old acquaintance named Bill came into his office and said that he needed some help getting out of debt, but he also wanted to avoid bankruptcy if at all possible. They talked, came up with a plan of action, and Bill went on his way. About four years later, Steve ran into Bill again and asked how things were; Bill relayed the following story.

Bill had $30,000 in credit card debt and was behind two months on his mortgage when he left Steve’s office. That day, Bill finally decided that something had to change. He wanted to pay everyone back, put some money in savings, and keep his house. His mortgage was his largest, and favorite, debt because he loved his house.

Bill’s first order of business was to prioritize his debts. Wanting to save his house, Bill called his lender and found out that it had a program that would enable him to roll his mortgage arrears onto the end of his loan. He was therefore able to keep his most important debt and focus his energies on getting rid of the debts he didn’t want anymore.

Bill put together a credit card repayment plan. He started living a bit more frugally, making some extra money by moonlighting, and paying more on his credit cards than the minimum. He was diligent, but not always perfect. Although it took him several years, he finally did get out of debt. He also kept his house and even created a little nest egg. Bill did it, and you can too.

Debts to Get Rid Of

If you want to prosper financially, there are plenty of debts that you will want to wipe out. The most obvious are those where you are paying high interest and penalties, things such as credit cards, lines of credit, taxes, or any other debt that is much higher than inflation. In this articles, you will see how to formulate a plan that will enable you to get out from under these burdensome debts. But as you contemplate this plan, you also need to prioritize certain debts and pay them on time:

1. Rent or mortgage. Make paying your rent or mortgage a top priority. Payments on a home equity line of credit or second mortgage are also essential because you can lose your house if you don’t pay.

2. Car payments. Make the payments. If you don’t, the car will be repossessed.

3. Utility bills. These services are important, and the bills usually have heavy late payment penalties.

4. Child support or alimony. Not paying these debts can land you in jail.

5. Taxes. Taxes may be put off for awhile if necessary, and we show you how to do so later on in the book, but if the IRS is about to take your paycheck, bank account, house, or other property, you should set up a repayment plan immediately.

The First Rule of Holes: Stop Digging!

The goal of this articles is to help you get out of debt within the context of making your life work. You will not be asked to make radical, unreasonable changes in your life because doing so rarely works. Instead, important, sometimes gradual, small but significant changes can make a big difference.

If you are going to start getting out of debt, you have to stop going into debt. One way to start is to begin to wean yourself from the credit card teat if you think that is part of your problem. You don’t have to cut up all your credit cards; that would be impractical and unreasonable. Start slowly, but build up to it and get strong. You can do it. The only way to stop going into debt is to stop going into debt. You might as well start now because the sooner you start, the sooner you will get out of debt. The longer you wait, the longer it will take.

We will show you how to easily trim your budget (well, almost easily) so that you need not incur more debt to stay afloat. But begin now. You are going to have to stop sooner or later. Down the road you will see that this is one of the most important steps you can take in getting out of debt. You will thank yourself for this gift. Remember the first rule of holes: Stop digging!

Long-Term Goals

Now is the time to begin to think about your long range financial vision. What is it you hope to accomplish by getting out of debt? Changing some habits?

Paying off your MasterCard? Probably what you really want is a less stressful life, one that’s free from money worries. But you can have even more. Getting out of debt is one thing, but prosperity is another thing altogether.

You have read this once already, and you will read it again in this book: If you don’t begin to do some things differently, to change the way you think and treat money, you might get out of debt, but you won’t stay out of debt. If you do make some simple changes to your thinking and your behavior, not only will you get out of debt, but you also will get ahead. You will get what you deserve: a life of abundance.

The Least You Need to Know

1. Going into debt for essentials makes financial sense; doing so for nonessentials does not.

2. Not all debt is bad debt.

3. You may want to keep debts that enhance your life and get rid of the rest.

4. Stop adding to your debt right now.

5. Cultivate a long-term plan of action.

www.Citicredit.asia offers comprehensive guide to credit reporting, including information on repairing or rebuilding your credit history.

 

 

 

 

 



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Are you getting the right debt advice?

Saturday, November 28th, 2009
Struggling with debt can be a difficult and stressful situation, and it’s easy to feel like you will never be able to find a way out.

More and more people are getting into trouble with debt these days, yet many are unaware of what help is available. In reality, even people with severe debt problems can get help from a professional debt adviser.

Importance of good debt advice

If you ever find yourself having problems with your debts, then you should contact a professional debt adviser as soon as possible. Since the interest on debt often means it grows very quickly, putting it off can result in you paying a lot more overall.

How can a good debt adviser help me?

General debt help

In a lot of cases, simple debt advice is all it takes. If you have trouble managing your money, you’re not alone – many people have this problem, and it’s not unusual for it to lead to debt problems.

Your debt adviser may be able to recommend a few changes in your spending that could help you to get back on track. Equally, they may help you to set up a budget, so you can make sure you’re aware of how much money is needed for each of your commitments, and how much you have left to spend as you wish.

If the situation has become more serious, and your debts are becoming unmanageable, then your debt adviser may recommend a debt solution that could help your situation.

What debt solutions are available?

There are a number of debt solutions available that can help people in various situations. Your debt adviser can help you to decide which (if any) is best for you.

Debt consolidation loan

A debt consolidation loan is typically for people who have relatively manageable debts, but would like to simplify their finances and/or reduce their outgoings. It is essentially a new loan that pays off your existing debts, ending your ties to your original creditors and consolidating those debts into one convenient monthly payment.

Many people with a debt consolidation loan choose to reduce the amount they pay each month by spreading their repayments out. If you choose to do this, be aware that because you will pay interest for longer, you may end up paying more overall.

However, it’s still possible to save money if you consolidate high-interest debts, such as credit cards. So long as the interest on the debt consolidation is lower, you could save money, although a longer repayment period may limit the amount you save.

Debt Management Plan

For debts that have become unmanageable under the existing terms, a debt management plan is an informal arrangement with your creditors that can allow you to repay your debts at a more manageable pace.

As well as reducing the amount you will pay each month, you may be able to negotiate a reduction or freeze in interest and other charges, which can prevent the debt from growing – or at least slow down the rate at which it’s increasing.

However, be aware that repaying any debt more slowly will take longer and can cost more, as it’ll have longer to attract interest. This is why it’s important to work closely with a debt adviser to ensure that your repayments are affordable, while still allowing you to repay what you owe.

IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement)

If your debts have become so unmanageable that you don’t think you will ever be able to repay them in full, an IVA could help you to avoid bankruptcy by agreeing to pay a set percentage of your debt to your creditors, after which the remaining debt will be written off.

You will make monthly payments to your Insolvency Practitioner, who will subsequently distribute it among your creditors as agreed. This will usually continue for five years, and on successful completion you will be legally debt-free.

There are some things to consider before entering into an IVA, though. You may be expected to give up a portion of any increase in income earned during your IVA (including pay rises and bonuses), and if you are a homeowner, you may also be expected to release some of the equity in your home in the 54th month of the IVA.

Although an IVA is typically considered preferable to bankruptcy, there are some cases in which bankruptcy is the more beneficial option. Your debt adviser will offer advice on the best choice for your particular needs.



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Private Student Loans from NextStudent Can Still be Dispersed Before Fall Semester Begins

Friday, November 27th, 2009
Private Student Loans from NextStudent Can Still be Dispersed Before Fall Semester Begins

With the approaching fall semester, many college-bound students still are in need of essential student loans (http://www.nextstudent.com) for school. Whether students need funds to cover the full cost of their tuition and expenses or funds to supplement the financial aid they received, NextStudent, the premier education funding company, can help students through its Private Student Loan Program.

NextStudent, based in Phoenix, AZ, is dedicated to helping students and their families find affordable ways to pay for college. Along with a host of highly competitive education finance products, the company provides a variety of Private Student Loans (http://www.nextstudent.com/privateloans/privateloans.asp).

Private Student Loan Funds Disbursed Fast

For college students who are concerned that it is too late to receive loan funds for college, Private Student Loans through NextStudent may be disbursed in as little as five business days.

Student borrowers can apply for Private Student Loans through NextStudent at any time throughout the year, as there are no application deadlines. From the beginning of the school term through the end, student borrowers have the ability to secure education funds to help them pay for all their education expenses.

Free and Easy Application Process

The application process is quick and easy and student borrowers can be preapproved within minutes after speaking with one of NextStudent’s knowledgeable Education Finance Advisors. Private Student Loans are unsecured and credit-based, and there are no application fees. The loans may cover as much as the full cost of a student’s education, less any received financial aid. Expenses can include tuition and fees, supplies, housing costs and computers, according to NextStudent.

Student borrowers can apply for a Private Student Loan with or without a co-signer; however, NextStudent approves more Private Student Loans when there is a qualified co-signer.

The NextStudent Private Student Loan Program requires that student borrowers are enrolled at least half time at college. They must be in a degree or certificate program at a TERI-approved school. The Education Resources Institute, or TERI, is a nonprofit organization. It guarantees all private loans issued from NextStudent. International students and those in distance learning courses also can apply for Private Student Loans.

An annual maximum of $40,000, or the calculated cost of attendance (lesser amount), is available to private student loan borrowers. The program maximum available is $130,000.

Private Loans Disbursed Direct to Student

Private Student Loan borrowers can rest easy, as funds are distributed direct to the borrower. Repayment on the private loans (http://www.nextstudent.com/privateloans/privateloans.asp) does not have to begin until six months after graduation, or when the student drops below half-time enrollment status at college.

On private loans of less than $40,000, student borrowers have as much as 20 years to repay the loan. The repayment term may be extended for student loans of more than $40,000. In addition, the minimum student loan payment is $25, and interest payments may be tax deductible.

Since NextStudent offers Private Student Loans throughout the year, student borrowers can rest easy knowing that they can receive the funds they need at any time. The fall semester is around the corner, and student borrowers easily can apply now and receive the college funds they need within weeks.

NextStudent believes that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and it is dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding as easy as possible. Learn more about Student Loans at http://www.nextstudent.com/.



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Looking at Student Loan Debt Consolidations

Friday, November 27th, 2009
Many students have had to take out loans to help pay for school, and almost just as many are having a difficult time paying off those loans now that they are out of school. For some of them, even their parents are working to pay off some of these loans. Many of the people in this situation are often wondering if what their options are for paying these off faster and easier.

Student loan consolidation is often the answer to the problems. With student loan consolidations, the numerous and hard to pay bills are turned into one low, monthly payment to help make living easier. Thanks to these low payments, it is often easier for people to pay for their other living expenses, like groceries, and even the occasional movie ticket.

When undergoing a student loan consolidations there are several different things that people must consider. The first and maybe biggest thing is grouping. Many students have both federal student loans and private student loans. It is very important to keep these two types of student loans separated when undergoing student loan consolidation because the federal student loans offer a few important things that you can no longer get if they are consolidated with private student loans.

One of these wonderful things is tax breaks on the interest rates. As you all know, tax breaks can be really nice to have. If you try to combine federal student loans with private student loans though, you will lose this because it is impossible on the private loans.

Another thing that you can look forward to with federal student loans, that is impossible when your student loan consolidation combines both federal and private student loans, is the possible pardons on specific loans that you can get.

The next important thing to look at is the interest rate. If your loans that are going to be combined all have the same interest rate, then it will be a little higher, but there will be no extra fees. If the student loan consolidation combinations that you are going to be using have different interest rates, then your rate will be somewhere between both the highest and the lowest rate that you currently have. Again, for the most part, except with special loans, you will not be charged any fees. Even with those that you are charged a fee for, it will be small and it will never be an upfront fee.

When you are looking at the interest rates offered, you may be told that your interest rate is lower than the rates you currently pay. This will pretty much never be true. Your rate will always land somewhere between what your highest and lowest rates are.

If you find a student loan consolidation program that requires an upfront fee, then there is a very good chance that you have stumbled onto a scam. Scams are something that you defiantly want to watch out for when you are looking for a student loan debt consolidation program.



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Master the art of Debt management

Monday, November 23rd, 2009
In making any purchase, you want that the item purchased must have a long term utility. However, while selecting the debt management technique a shift in the approach is quite noticeable. We find that short term debt management techniques like debt consolidation loans are much greater in use. Nevertheless, this is not double standard on the part of people. The choice is mostly influenced by the immediate pressure of debts.

Debt settlement techniques, which have a longer standing effect, are the rule of the day. People know them by the name of debt management in the UK. Debt management aims to strike at the roots of debt, instead of simply countering the after effects of debts. When debts are not allowed to increase, the use of debt consolidation loans and other short-term debt management techniques become redundant.

Why is debt management preferred to have a longer effect? The realisation is the result of people accepting that debt consolidation loans can give succour for only a time being, but not for ever. Even when borrowers are able to pay all the debts at a particular point of time, is there a guarantee that debts will not arise again? What shall one do at that time? Taking a new debt consolidation will not be a viable solution. The loan providers will be the first to deny loans to borrowers who have grown a habit of borrowing. And what about your home against which the loan is taken? Will it have sufficient equity left to be used for any other purposes? No! These are the reasons that have pushed borrowers towards seeking long term debt management.

Certain borrowers are perplexed at the inclusion of debt consolidation loans in debt management, when the debt management agencies themselves say that debt consolidation loans are of not much good. To this the debt management agencies reply in the following manner; “We do not recommend the total ban on the use of debt consolidation loans. What we recommend is a ban on the misuse of debt consolidation loans.”

Debt consolidation loans are rampantly used in the UK. It is because of the ease with which people are able to draw debt consolidation loans that people have started spending rashly; thus being further weighed down by debts.

Debt management agencies have come down on this habit of the people of the UK. Since debt consolidation loans abet people in taking more debts, debt management agencies also criticise debt consolidation loans.

Debt management makes a planned use of debt consolidation loans. Compare the situation with an ailment that a person is facing. Debt consolidation loans will be like a surgery to be performed. However, doctors will first try to cure the ailment through oral medication. The oral medication is to be given through debt counselling. Only when oral medication is not able to cure the ailment, doctors will suggest surgery, i.e. debt consolidation loans.

Debt counselling is referred to the advice to borrowers about the manner in which they can cure a debt problem. The advice is not general in nature. Debt counsellor, who is an expert, will sit with the debtor during a few sessions to discuss the details of the debt problem. When debt problem is at its preliminary stage, it will require efforts from the borrowers own side. Debt counsellor offers certain suggestions through which borrowers can bring upon a marked change in their finances. Debt management agencies have given a new look to certain age old principles of coping with debts. It is these principles that are made use of to inculcate debt sense in borrowers.

It is during these sessions that the debt counsellor will access the use of debt consolidation loans. The factors that will be considered while making the decision are as follows:

• What is the amount of debts that the debtor owes to one or different creditors?• Does the borrower have sufficient available income to repay debts on his own without using debt consolidation loans?• The nature of the debts- whether debts are accruing higher interest rate, and if they have already reached their repayment date.

The various tips that you learned during the debt management process must not be forgotten during repayment of debt consolidation loans. While debts owed to creditors have been settled, you continue to owe to the loan provider. Never must the borrower relax until the final instalment of debt consolidation has been made.



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Managing Student Loan Debt

Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Consolidating student loan debt is the best way for a person to manage their money and debt right out of school. Typically a person will have a large amount of debt collected through college. This might include car debt, credit card debt, and student loans. In order to keep track of it all and to make timely payments, the student should consider consolidating student loan debt to minimize the amount of worry each month. By getting a student loan consolidation, students can take advantage of the lower interest rates on their student loans. Consolidating student loan debt is the best way for a student to learn about money management in the “real world.”

When a student chooses to consolidate student loan debt, they are basically combining all of their student loans into one. The interest rates of the loans are also combined and averaged to become the interest rate that the student will pay on the student loan consolidation. By lowering the interest rate on the student loans, a student can focus on getting all of their debt lowered and plan out their budget every month. Being able to manage finances and other debts in addition to student loan debt is a good practice, and will benefit the student in future financial dealings. By making timely payments on a student loan consolidation, the student is making their credit report that much better.

Often times, student loan debt will have the lowest interest rates of any other type of debt that a student will have. While many people suggest paying off the higher interest debts first, it will affect the student’s credit history if they do not pay their student loans. When a student misses multiple student loan payments, their student loans become defaulted. A defaulted student loan will put the account on hold until the student can get their loans current. When a student has a defaulted student loan, their credit history will get flagged. There are ways to get the credit history back to normal; however, when they go to apply for future finances like a mortgage or a car, their credit report will show the default student loan.

A student loan consolidation helps students to get control of their debts and finances when they are out of college. For many people, a student loan consolidation helps to make paying student loans back easier with less hassle. Most students get their student loans consolidated within their grace period, which is beneficial for many reasons. Interest rates always go up in July of each year. So when a student consolidates their student loans, they can take advantage of lower interest rates.

For more resources about Loan consolidation or even about School loan consolidation and especially about Student loan please review these links.



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Public Debt Management System in Govt. Accounting Phenomena

Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Public Debt Management is the process of establishing and implementing a policy for managing the government’s debt in order to raise the required amount of funding, track its cost and risk objectives, and to convene any other public debt management goals for which the government has put criteria for developing and maintaining an efficient and liquid market for national securities. Hence,

 

The Legal framework should clarify the authority to borrow and to issue new debt, invest and undertake transactions on behalf of the Government. The organizational framework should be well specified where mandates and roles are well articulated. Sovereign debt management may span a country’s debt management organization or a fundamental depository. Debt management report should be made publicly which would review preceding year’s activities and provide synopsis of borrowing plans based on budget protuberance.

 

The Public Accounts comprises of three divisions Debt, Deposits and Reserves and Remittances. The ‘Debt’ Comprises receipt and payments in respect of which government incurs a liability to repay the money received or has a claim to recover the amount paid together with repayments of the former and recoveries of the latter. State General Provident Fund, National Savings Certificate and Postal Savings Certificates etc. are recorded in this division. The ‘Deposit and Reserves’ comprises receipts and payment for which the Government acts as a banker. The government, as the banker, deals with civil deposit, personal deposit and renewal reserve fund etc. The ‘Remittances’ division comprises all adjusting heads for instance, remittances to and from Bangladesh Bank and PWD, Defence, Forest, T and T and Postal etc. Remittances to Bangladesh mission abroad are also included in this division. The form of accounting used by the Government of Bangladesh is based on the cash basis of accounting; that is, recording the transaction at the time when cash is paid or received. Cash basis of Accounting is a traditional basis of govt accounting. There are completely two different sets of published accounts in Bangladesh- the Annual Finance Accounts and the Annual Appropriation Accounts and Annual Finance Accounts: The Finance Accounts reflect total annual receipts and expenditure of the government together with relevant financial statements.

Furthermore, the cash balance of the government is also publicized in this statement where preparation of the Annual Finance Accounts is vested with the C&AG according to Article 4 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Additional Functions) Act, 1974. Appropriation Accounts: The appropriation is a proportional report viewing comprehensive head-wise/code-wise ultimate budgetary distribution and authentic expenses of different ministries and their subordinate offices with details of variances (if any). According to Article 128 of the Constitution and Rule 4 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Additional functions) Act 1974, preparation of the Appropriation Accounts by the concerned Accounts Offices, it is reviewed by the Directorates of Civil Audit and PT&T according to concerned portions and then certified by the C&AG with required observations.

The primary accounts are held in reserve where the transactions take place. There are two branches of primary accounts, one kept by the govt. accounting departments; and the other kept by the self-drawing departments known as departmentalized accounts departments, like Public Works Department, Telephone Board Postal Department, forest Department etc. To keep consistency and for the convenience of administrative functions, govt. has set up accounting offices under the control of CGA. CGDF and ADGFR. Office of the CGA covers all ministries and departments except Defence and Railway. The lowest tire of accounting unit tender the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) is the Upazilla Accounts Office. Next unit is the District Accounts Office, which is located at the District Headquarters. For the account purpose, there are also 20 regional Accounts Offices at the greater district headquarters, which consolidate the accounts received from the District and Upazilla Accounts Officers for onward transmission to the Controller General of Accounts. The Chief Accounts Offices of the respective Ministries keep accounts of the presidency. There are 21 Accounts Offices for the ministries and divisions of the govt. They work under the Administrative control of the C&AG and CGA and under the functional control of the secretary of the concerned Ministry/Division. All these Accounts Offices and their activities facilities the CGA office to prepare the Monthly Accounts, the Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts. Considering the special nature of functions and activities of the Defense Service and the Railway. Govt. has established separated departments for their accounting functions, namely the CGDF and the ADGFR respectively. Accounting units of these Departments also prepare and maintain their monthly accounts, which facilitate the CGDF and the ADGFR to prepare the Monthly Accounts, the Finance Accounts and the Appropriation Accounts.

The accounting system for the departments, which run the Departmentalized concept such as Railway, Defence, Postal, T&T, Works, Forest etc, is a bit different from concept such as Railway, Defense, Postal, T&T, Works, Forest etc. is a bit different from the general government accounting system. However, except Railway all other departments do not have separate bank account. The Railway has separate bank account with the Bangladesh Bank and that shows separate through a head called ”Remittance”"- an adjusting head in the government account and deposit it their income through using this head too. The Bangladesh Bank (BB) acts the banker to the government although there exists distinction between Consolidated Fund and Public Account, in effect cash balance of the Government is one and that lies with the Bangladesh Bank. The Accounting Offices issue cheque in favour of the parties/person’s and then the cheques are finally drawn from the (now Central Reconciliation Unit) fore reconciliation and outside the presidency where there are no branches of BB Sonali Bank acts as the Banker to the Government Cheques issued by the Accounting Offices and drawn on the Sonali Bank afterwards are sent back to the concerned Accounting Offices for reconciliation. The Thana, District and Chief Accounts Officers record each and every transaction of the government as the initial accounts where it is applicable. Initial accounts are recorded under the relevant head of accounts where the transaction is taken place where Upazilla and District Accounts Offices send accounts as usual by the 10th of the following month. The DCA Offices subsequently classify the detailed accounting information under the respective head of accounts and propel it to the CGA by the 20th of that month. On the other side, self-drawing Departments transmit their accounts to the CAO of their respective ministries. Along with those, the CAO Office prepares initial accounts of the presidency, classify and consolidate the accounts within the purview of its ministry’s boundaries and then send the accounts to the CGA by 20th of the following month. They also send the accounts to their respective Principal Accounting Officer/Secretary of Ministry or Division. CGA Prepares consolidated accounts based on the accounting data supplied by the CAO and DCA’s. Similar procedure is followed in the accounting units of the Defense Finance and Railway so far as flow of accounts is concerned. In respect of preparation of the Finance Accounts and the Appropriation Accounts of the Defence Ministry and the Railway Department, the CGDF and the ADGFR respectively play the key role. The monthly Accounts prepared and maintained by the Accounts Officers of the government are the basis of Finance Accounts and the Appropriation Accounts. The following criteria are the factor which is worth noting.



Well-articulated responsibilities for staff, clear monitoring, control policies and reporting arrangements required.

Precise and comprehensive management information system with proper safeguards.

Staff be subject to a code of conduct and conflict of interest guidelines re management of personal financial affairs.



Debt Management approach:

Risk can be moderate by transforming debt structure against costs which is accelerated for borrowing decisions at reduced risks. Debt managers should consider financial and other risks characteristic to government cash flows where carefully assessment and managing risk associated with foreign currency and short term floating rate debt is virtual important with due regard. Debt Management Strategy should be Cost effective where cash management policies needs to meet with a high degree of certainty financial obligations as they fall due. A framework enabling debt managers to manage the trade-off between expected costs and risk in government debt portfolio should be set forth in consistence with real life situation. Impact of contingent liabilities on Government financial and liquidity position cannot be ignored while making decision in respect of selecting borrowing criteria.

Risks in sovereign debt management

 

Market risks involve changes in interest rate, exchange rate and commodity prices and their impact on government debt servicing. Longer term fixed rate needs to be preferred. In this connection, rollover risk is another factor to reduce risk in the field of Debt Management System: The risk that debt may have to be rolled over at an unusually high cost, and in extreme cases, cannot be rolled over. Operational Risk: A Transaction error, failure of internal control or systems, security breaches natural disasters affecting business activity.



Risks in sovereign debt management

Liquidity risk: It involves a situation when volumes of liquid assets diminish quickly in face of unanticipated cash flow obligation or difficulty in raising cash thru borrowing on short notice. Credit Risk: It refers to non-performance by borrowers on loans or other financial assets e.g. contingent liabilities, derivative contract entered into by debt manager.

Develop Efficient Govt. Securities Market





To minimize cost and risk debt managers should strive to develop efficient securities market. To strive to achieve a broad investor base for both domestic and foreign obligation with investors being treated equitably.

The primary market should be transparent and predictable with market-based debt issuance. Government should promote a resilient and there should have criteria for



 

Debt versus Deficit which

 

deficit is a flow of new debt incurred when the Government spends more than it raises as taxes.

 



Ex: When US government ran a deficit of $ 100 billion in 1995, it adds to stock of government debt, but when it enjoyed a surplus of $ 200 billion in 1999, it reduced the stock by that amount.



Objectives of Debt management



To ensure that government financing needs and its payment obligations are met.

To secure government debt at the lowest possible cost over medium and long range.

It should be consistent with prudent degree of risk

Coordination with Monetary and Fiscal Policies





Debt Managers, fiscal policy advisors and central bankers should share an understanding on the objectives of debt management, fiscal and monetary policies. They should also know Government’s current and future liquidity requirements. Debt managers should convey fiscal authorities their views on the costs and risk associated with government financing requirements and debt levels. Divergent objectives respected where Debt-managers focus on cost/risk trade-off of debt while monetary policy directed towards achieving price-stability and inflation issues. In this connection, Debt management and monetary policy be allowed to perform in their own realms with one not affecting the core objectives of the other. Furthermore, the goal of cost minimization subject to prudent level of risk should not be viewed as a mandate to reduce interest rate. Coordination with Monetary and Fiscal Policies

 

Debt Managers, fiscal policy advisors and central bankers should share an understanding on the objectives of debt management, fiscal and monetary policies. They should also know Government’s current and future liquidity requirements where Debt managers should convey fiscal authorities their views on the costs and risk associated with government financing requirements and debt levels.



Divergent objectives respected and in this respect, debt-managers focus on cost/risk trade-off of debt while monetary policy directed towards achieving price-stability and inflation issues.

Debt management and monetary policy be allowed to perform in their own realms with one not affecting the core objectives of the other.

The goal of cost minimization subject to prudent level of risk should not be viewed as a mandate to reduce interest rate.



Borrowing Authority:

An IMF survey shows that:



In all of the countries surveyed, the legal authority to borrow rests with the parliament

In most of the countries, legislation has been enacted authorizing the Ministry of Finance to borrow on behalf of the government.

In some others, that power has been delegated to the Cabinet, and in one case (India) straightly to the state bank.



Debt Management Responsibility in Bangladesh: Regarding debt management system, there exists lots of responsibility to create and debt management market by borrowing and establishing funds and in a nutshell, these are as follows:









The Rules of Business empowers Finance Division to borrow and float market loans. Bangladesh Bank Order 1972 envisages that BB acts as an agent to the Government, among others, for management of the public debt, they play active role in this respect.

FSAP Report of IMF recommended that the terms, manner and conditions of borrowing fund should rest with Finance Division.

The Report envisaged that Debt Management Office may be established in Finance Division. That the Office should report to Finance Secretary. The Office is responsible for all public debt including NSCs and external debt as well. Currently, NSCs debt are managed by IRD while external debt are managed by ERD, while borrowing from the banking system is managed by Bangladesh Bank with peripheral. Current Practice in Debt Management

Domestic debt management is performed by BB very often not reflecting the needs of Government’s fiscal policy. The objective of debt management and monetary management seems to get blurred. Because of lack of involvement FD depends on its creditor (BB) for debt stock and borrowing information during the year.



 

Government accounting system derived its authorization from the Constitution of Bangladesh and as such the Constitution empowered the Comptroller and Auditor General to lay down the forms and manners of the government accounting. The Comptroller and Auditor General (Additional Functions) Act, 1974 assigned the C&AG with the responsibilities of maintenance the accounts of the Republic. These responsibilities of the Appropriation Accounts. Office of the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Controller General Defense Finance (CGDF), Additional Director General Finance of Railway (ADGFR) and the Bangladesh Bank are the main source of accounting information for the government. Controller General of Accounts (CGA) plays the most important role in the government accounting function. CGA is responsible for keeping the accounts of the receipts and expenditure that are done the govt. departments other than the departmentalized accounting Departments and the Defense and Railway Department. CGDF maintains the accounts of the armed Forces and the departments under the Ministry of Defense. ADGFR is responsible for keeping the accounts of Bangladesh Railway. Bangladesh Bank furnishes the information and figures to the govt. accounting departments regarding foreign loans and aids provided by the International Development Partners to Bangladesh.



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Student Loan Information

Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Once a student gets a student loan consolidation, they are expected to make payments on their student loans every month, and to make them on time. When going through the student loan consolidation process, a student has a number of options of payment plans that they can choose from to pay back their student loans. Most students will stay with the standard repayment plan in which the loan payments stay the same for the entirety of the loan. The advantage of this type of payment plan is that the payments will never change, which helps a person to plan out their budget every month. Some students will opt for the graduated repayment plan, which has initial low monthly payments. This helps the student to still work on paying back their student loans while looking for a job. After a given amount of time, the monthly payments will increase, and continue to increase from there on out. If a student falls behind on their student loan payments, their student loan becomes a defaulted student loan. This puts their payments on hold until they can get current on their student loans. Even after they are able to catch up on their student loans, the default student loan is on their credit report. This will hurt them in any future dealings.

The repayment options that a person can choose from in paying back their student loans will vary in advantages and disadvantages for each person. If someone has a job lined up for when they graduate and will have enough money right off the bat to make student loan debt payments, they should stick to the standard repayment option, because they can get their loans paid off quicker, and they will not have to worry about their payments increasing after a while. However, most students do not have a job or enough money to make that high a payment each month. In those cases, the graduated repayment option is best, because they can still work on paying off their student loan debt, but they can make low payments until a job is found. After a given amount of time, the payments will increase, so the student should be aware of when the payments will increase. Also, a student with graduated repayment should be aware that while they have low payments each month, they are also collecting more interest on the remaining balance. Therefore, that student will be paying more interest in total on their student loans. However, sometimes it is worth it to have the initial low payments.

If a student is unable to keep up with their student loan payments, they will likely get a defaulted student loan. When this happens, the student loan company will put the student’s account on hold until they are able to catch up on their payments. A default student loan will affect a person’s credit report, which might hinder their chances of low interest rates when they go to apply for a mortgage or a loan. Defaulted student loans are hard to clear off of the record, but it can be managed. Before a student gets a defaulted student loan, they should notify the student loan company if there are going to be any late payments.

For more resources about Loan consolidation or even about School loan consolidation and especially about Student loan please review these links.



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Debt Consolidation for Better Debt Management

Thursday, November 19th, 2009
A loan granted to a borrower for paying off the existing loans and debts to credit card over arrears etc is debt consolidation. By choosing a debt consolidation loan when trapped with debt burden, as a borrower you get many advantages since it proves to be a real bonus with more benefits. Debt consolidation loans help you to overcome your financial crisis by allowing you to start by paying your debts afresh and also maintaining your debt burden successfully.

Debt consolidation loans are offered with lower interest rates when compared with your existing loan interest rates. These loans will entitle payment to multiple lenders who charge you high rates of interest for your various debts such as credit card bills, store bills etc. You can take the advantage of availing of debt consolidation, as you will be satisfying your existing lenders by taking a bigger loan with less rate of interest.

A debt consolidation loan can be a secured or an unsecured one. Secured debt consolidation requires you to provide collateral, usually your house. As the lender is satisfied with the guarantee of repayment he offers you debt consolidation loan with a long repayment period and also at lower interest rates. The amount of your loan depends on the collateral’s equity value. An unsecured debt consolidation loan does not need any collateral, it is offered at a relatively higher interest rate. The interest rate depends on your financial position and credit score. Since the providers are many you will get the loan at a competitive rate.

In simple terms, merging of all you debts together is debt consolidation. There are various methods to merge your debts like debt consolidation loan, debt counseling, debt consolidation mortgage and debt consolidation re-mortgage. It provides you an opportunity to combine all your existing loans into a single manageable loan. Debt consolidation program offers you an opportunity for paying off all your outstanding bills and existing multiple loans with one easy installment. It is also a cheap debt resolution option for you.

By taking debt consolidation loan your debt amount does not gets reduced, only the rate of interest is reduced. Many credit unions and banks offer debt consolidation. Debt consolidation loans can be used for any purpose since there is no necessity to specify the reason while applying for the loan. When you have a bad credit history debt consolidation loan gives you a chance to restore your credit status. When you have chosen a debt consolidation loan a single creditor will deal with all your debts. When your debt goes beyond your control, you can take an excellent move of debt consolidation. It is always considered as a great tool of debt management and this loan works by itself for you.

Debt consolidation loans are offered to all and anybody can qualify for availing debt consolidation services. If you have had bankruptcy experience in the past or if you are with bad credit history, you can apply without any hesitation for a debt consolidation quote. The application cost is free and you have to carefully select the suitable debt consolidation service. The debt consolidation limit varies between companies and no such limit is fixed. Generally, you can avail of 125 percent of your property’s value. The debt consolidation loan tenure is decided after verification of your financial condition. The maximum limit for secured loan is 25 years and for unsecured loan is 10 years.



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